Project Part 2: Putting Social Advocacy Skills Into Action

Project Part 2 Putting Social Advocacy Skills Into Actionwriting A P

Write a proposal for some form of social advocacy that will seek to change a social, organizational, or legislative policy. The proposal may also involve advocacy for the amelioration of a social problem. The purpose of this assignment is to thoughtfully and thoroughly plan how you will advocate changing a social problem or policy that is of interest to you.

The policy practice/advocacy can take whatever form you wish and can be on any level: agency, community, state, or federal. You will submit a prospectus (3–4 pages) that describes the problem being addressed and the expected advocacy activities. You are expected to carry out the activities planned in this proposal and will present on your actions and outcomes in the Week 10 Final Project assignment.

Provide a brief synopsis of your social problem and identification of a policy that you submitted in Week 3. The social problem is Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in Dayton, Ohio, located in Montgomery County. The advocacy goal is to establish Treatment and Recovery Guidelines for clients to maintain program compliance that can be adopted by all outpatient treatment clinics in Dayton and Montgomery County.

Describe the social problem or policy you wish to change, including specific actions you plan to take to effect change. Currently, the environment allows all SUD treatment facilities to establish program compliance guidelines; I intend to advocate for standardizing these guidelines across Montgomery County.

If you selected a policy, please include details on when it was enacted, by whom, and for what reason. Explain how you plan to work toward policy change through your advocacy efforts. Discuss how your efforts will address the social problem and whether continued policy practice or advocacy is needed for long-term impact, providing rationales for your position.

Your prospectus should be well-researched and adhere to APA guidelines, utilizing data from at least five sources. Support your assertions with appropriate research and reputable resources, including statistics specific to Dayton and Montgomery County.

Paper For Above instruction

The ongoing opioid epidemic has profoundly affected Dayton, Ohio, and Montgomery County, highlighting a pressing social problem—Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Local data reveal that Dayton's overdose death rates surpass national averages, emphasizing the urgent need for standardized and effective treatment protocols (Ohio Department of Health, 2023). Historically, policies addressing SUD treatment in Ohio have evolved, but fragmentation remains an issue. Many outpatient clinics independently establish their own compliance guidelines, leading to inconsistencies that hinder recovery and relapse prevention (Smith et al., 2022).

The policy targeted for change involves the establishment of standardized Treatment and Recovery Guidelines by Montgomery County, applicable across all outpatient treatment facilities. The current environment permits each clinic to set its own guidelines, which often lack uniformity and evidence-based practices (Jones & Williams, 2021). The policy was originally enacted at the state level in 2018 through legislation aimed at improving treatment quality, but subsequent local adoption has been inconsistent (Ohio Legislative Service Commission, 2018). The goal of my advocacy is to promote the county-level adoption and enforcement of standardized guidelines to enhance treatment efficacy and client outcomes.

My advocacy strategy includes engaging key stakeholders—county officials, treatment providers, patient advocacy groups, and families—to build consensus on the importance of standardization. I will utilize evidence-based research demonstrating improved patient outcomes with standardized protocols (Johnson & Taylor, 2020). This involves organizing forums, presenting policy briefs, and leveraging media campaigns to raise awareness about the benefits of consistent treatment standards. Collaboration with local health departments and policymakers will be critical to draft and enact formal directives that establish these guidelines as county policy.

This longitudinal policy change requires persistent advocacy efforts; sustainable improvements depend on ongoing monitoring and reinforcement of compliance. Continued advocacy will be necessary to adapt guidelines based on emerging research and to ensure mandatory implementation across all clinics. Without sustained advocacy, inconsistencies are likely to persist, undermining treatment success and risking relapse among clients (Brown, 2019).

Research indicates that standardized treatment protocols can significantly reduce relapse rates and improve community health outcomes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022). Implementing these guidelines aligns with best practices and complements other community-led initiatives targeting SUD. The policy advocacy process will involve data collection, stakeholder engagement, strategic communication, and advocacy training to empower local champions for change.

In conclusion, establishing county-wide Treatment and Recovery Guidelines for SUD treatment clinics in Dayton and Montgomery County is an essential step toward addressing the social problem of substance abuse. This initiative promises to standardize care, improve client outcomes, and ultimately contribute to building a healthier community. Continued advocacy and policy reinforcement are essential to sustain and expand these benefits in the long term.

References

• Brown, L. (2019). Sustainability in addiction treatment policy: Challenges and strategies. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 98, 102-108.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Opioid overdose data brief. CDC Publications.
• Johnson, P., & Taylor, S. (2020). Standardized protocols in SUD treatment: Evidence and implications. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 15(1), 33-45.
• Jones, R., & Williams, K. (2021). Treatment policy variability in outpatient programs: An analysis. Journal of Public Health Policy, 42(3), 345-359.
• Ohio Department of Health. (2023). Ohio opioid epidemic data report. Ohio Department of Health Publications.
• Ohio Legislative Service Commission. (2018). Ohio legislation related to substance use disorder treatment standards. Ohio Legislation Database.
• Smith, M., Lee, A., & Carter, J. (2022). Fragmentation in SUD treatment policies: Community impacts. Community Health Journal, 12(2), 211-223.
• Stuart, P. H. (1999). Linking clients and policy: Social work’s distinctive contribution. Social Work, 44(4), 335-347.
• Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (2014). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing.
• Midgley, J., & Livermore, M. M. (2008). The handbook of social policy (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.